Eel-trap.



STAT

TTNTE f ATENT @FFTCE.

BEL-TRAP.

Application filed March 16, 1909.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GENNARO G. Passano, a citizen of the United States,residing at Stamford, county of F airfield, State of Connecticut, haveinvented a new and useful Eel-Trap, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention has for its object to provide a simple, inexpensive andeasily cleaned trap adapted to be placed wherever required in waterpipes, as where a service pipe from a water main enters a building,which will effectually prevent the passage of eels and fish and solidanimal and vegetable matter generally, and will provide a pockettoreceive all accumulations of solid matter from which such matter may bereadily removed.

With these and other objects in view I have devised the novel structurewhich I will now describe, referring to the accompanying drawing forminga part of this specification in which reference characters are used toindicate the several parts.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of my novel trap complete; Fig. 2 adetail sectional view on the line 2-2 in Fig. 1 looking in the directionof the arrows, a portion of the gasket being broken away; Fig. 3 asimilar section on the line 33 in Fig. 1, looking in the direction ofthe arrows; Fig. i an end elevation of one form of guard detached; andFig. 5 is a detail front elevation of a variant form of guard.

indicates the body of my novel trap which is cast in a single piece,thus reducing the cost of production to the minimum.

11 indicates a hub, shown as internally threaded, to which the incomingwater pipe (not shown) is attached and 12 a wall which separates a waterpassage 13 from the pocket 14 below it. The passage is continuous withthe incoming water pipe and extends three-fourths, more or less, acrossthe body leaving an eel passage 15 at its end down into the pocket. Atthe end of the body opposite to incoming hub ll is an outgoing wateropening 16 which is surrounded by a flange 17, preferably lying at anangle of forty-five degrees, more 01' less, to the plane of passage 13.

18 indicates a hub, shown as internally threaded, to which the outgoingwater pipe (not shown) is attached. This hub is provided with a flange19, lying in the plane of flange 17, to which it is attached by bolts20.

The escape of eels and fish and the pas- Specification of LettersPatent.

Patented Dec. 21, 1909.

Serial No. 483,722.

sage of any solid animal or vegetable matter from the trap is preventedby means of a guard 23 which projects from the plane of the flangestoward, and preferably below, the end of wall 12, and the ends of whichare shown as seated in recesses 22 on opposite sides of opening 16. Thisguard is so constructed as not to interfere to any appreciable extentwith the passage of water. Its action is to deflect eels, fish and anysolid matter that may enter the trap through the incoming water pipe andcause such matter to pass downward into the pocket where it will remain.The special construction of the guard is not of the essence of theinvention, the essential feature being that it be so shaped that it willdeflect eels, fish, etc. down into the pocket and have an angularformation that will prevent them from returning above the plane of thewall 12. I preferably use the angular form of guard illustrated as Ihave found it completely eii'ective in use. The guard has an upperportion which extends down in a substantially vertical direction to apoint opposite or a little below the end .of wall 12, and a lowerportion at an angle thereto and extending in a direction inclinedrelatively to the inclined wall of the pocket. The upper portion willdeflect an eel clownward into the pocket 14: from which it is not likelyto get back into the passage 13 because the inclined wall of the pocketwill direct it up under the lower inclined portion of the guard and thelatter directs it back into the pocket. The guard may be formed fromsheet metal, as in Fig. 5, and provided with openings 2-1 which may beeither slots or holes, or it may be made from pieces of wire, indicatedby 25, as in Figs. 1, 3 and 1, the ends of the pieces being spaced andsecured together in any suitable manner as by U-shaped strips 26 ofmetal clamped over the end and soldered thereto.

In assembling, the ends of the guard are placed in the recesses toreceive them with the projecting portion extending inward. Over theguard I preferably place a screen 28 of wire netting which stops smallerparticles of animal and vegetable matter and permits such matter to dropdown through the guard into the pocket. Between the flanges 17 and 19 Iplace a gasket 29 in order to insure a water-tight joint. The pocket isprovided with an opening or openings 30 shown as closed by screw plugs31 for the purpose of permitting the convenient removal of eels, fishand any solid animal or vegetable matter that may accumulate therein.Any suitable valves or cocks may be used if preferred.

7 The operation will be obvious from the drawing. If the water is freefrom eels, fish and all solid animal and vegetable matter, the trap willrequire no attention whatever. Should any eels or fish enter the trapfrom the incoming water pipe they will strike the guard and be deflecteddownward into thepocket. Should they attempt to pass into the outgoingwater pipe they will be effectually stopped by the uard and retained inthe pocket. Should the passage of water through the trap become cloggedor impeded, one or both of the screw plugs may be removed and the waterallowed to pass through the pocket which will quickly carry out anyeels, fish or other matter that may have accumulated therein. Should theguard or screen become clogged, the bolts may be removed and the flangesseparated, which would permit the screen and the guard to beconveniently removed for cleaning and as readily replaced. The screenmay be dispensed with if preferred. When water is known to be infestedwith eels or fish, the pocket should be opened frequently and allowed toclear itself without waiting for the trap to become clogged.

Having thus described my invention I claim:

1. An eel trap comprising a body having incoming and outgoing pipeconnections, a wall extending from the incoming connection but leaving apassage at the end thereof, a pocket below the wall into which thepassage opens and a guard acting to deflect eels and other solid matterinto the pocket and to prevent the passage of eels and other solidmatter from the trap, said guard having one portion opposite the end ofthe incoming passage and another portion at an angle thereto andinclined relatively to the wall of the pocket.

2. An eel trap comprising a body having incoming and outgoing pipeconnections, a wall extending from the incoming connec tion and forminga water passage across the body, a pocket below the wall, a passageleading from the water passage into the pocket and a guard acting todeflect eels and other solid matter into the pocket and to prevent thepassage of eels and other solid matter from the trap, said guard havingone portion opposite the end of the incoming passage and another portionat an angle I thereto and inclined relatively to the wall of the pocket.

8. An eel trap comprising a body having incoming and outgoing pipeconnections, a wall extending from the incoming connection but leaving apassage at the other end thereof, a pocket below the wall into which thepassage opens and a guard consisting of parallel wires connected at theends, said wires being bent intermediate their ends to form two portionsat an angle to each other, substantially as described, for the purposespecified.

4. An eel trap comprising a body having an incoming water connection anda water passage leading therefrom, a pocket below the water passage, apassage leading from the water passage into the pocket, an outgoingwater opening surrounded by a flange lying at an angle to the plane ofthe water passage, an outgoing water connection having a flangecorresponding with the flange on the body, means for securing theflanges together and a guard held between the flanges, said guard havingone portion opposite the end of the incoming passage and another portionat an angle thereto and inclined relatively to the wall of the pocket.

5. An eel trap comprising a body having an incoming water passage, belowsaid passage a pocket, a passage leading from the water passage into thepocket, an outgoing water opening surrounded by a flange having oppositerecesses, aguard comprising wires lying parallel and secured together,the ends lying in the recesses and an out going water connection havinga flange secured to the flange on the body and retaining the guard inplace.

6. An eel trap having incoming and outgoing water connections at anangle to each other, a transverse wall forming a water passagecontinuous with the incoming opening, and below said wall a pocket saidpocket having an inclined side below the outgoing passage, a passageleading into the pocket and a guard acting to deflect eels and othersolid matter into the pocket and to prevent escape of eels and othersolid matter from the trap, said guard having two portions at an angleto each other, one portion of the guard being inclined relatively to theinclined side of the pocket.

In testimony whereof I allix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

- GENNARO G. PASSARO.

C. POND \VEBB.

